Mussels always bring back special memories for me.  It reminds me of the year (2006) living in London with Justin, GM, CY and PY.  I remember doing mussels mariniere on two occasions and on both times, it was the post-exam/holiday period.  Yes, it brings back the great "WOOHOO! HOLIDAY!" feeling ... and a touch of nostalgia too...

But from London 06, we fly to Vivocity Singapore 09.  It is perhaps somewhat of a coincidence that as I was about to blog about mussels that I visited The Mussel Guys, an eatery located on the second floor of Vivocity.  It was one of those rare occasions where I didn't scrutinise the menu before entering a restaurant.  I usually do so to ensure: 1) I don't get ripped off 2) The signature dishes are worth eating 3) The dessert and wine list is decent.  But I thought I would give The Mussel Guys a chance.  I mean, any restaurant surrounded by big boys such as Sushi Tei, Swensen's and Secret Recipe, probably deserves a shot ... if for nothing just to root for the underdog.  Unfortunately, rooting for the underdog usually doesn't prevent them from being relegated from the premier league.  The Mussel Guys was over-priced, under-quantitied and does a horrible french onion soup.  Even their signature mussels was nothing you couldn't get from NTUC.  And their desserts were pathetic.  Plus, you need to pay a dollar for bottled water.  The only saving grace was the service and their prawn pasta.  So be forewarned: unless you're dying of hunger in Vivocity on the eve of a public holiday, you might do well to avoid The Mussel Guys.

On a happier note, I met up with Paul, Daphne, and GM last month for a pot luck French-themed dinner (It was brilliant guys!).  I did a mussels mouclade which was almost lost among the gastronomic spread of duck leg confit, salmon salad, tomato consomme, roast potatoes and chocolate cake ... not a necessarily a bad thing come to think of it!

Ingredients

1kg de-bearded mussels (about 32)

0.5 cups minced shallots

2 tbsp minced garlic

1.5 cups white wine

1 cup heavy cream

2 tsp curry powder

0.25 cup butter

0.25 cup minced parsley

0.25 cup chopped green onions

Sea salt and pepper

Method

-Cook shallots and garlic in simmering wine until transluscent.

-Stir in cream and curry powder.  When sauce is heated through, add mussels.  Cover and cook for a few mins.

-Remove mussels using a sieved ladle, leaving sauce behind.  Whisk butter into the sauce.  Season with sea salt and pepper

-Turn heat off, stir in parsley and green onions.  Layer your mussels nicely into a dish and pour the sauce over, preferably ensuring each shell is filled.  Serve immediately.

I recommend using sea salt to enhance the taste of this dish plus a dash of white pepper.  You can vary the amount of curry powder if you like a stronger taste.  You may add in a tablespoon or two of cornstarch dissolved in cold water too if you want a thicker gravy.  If you feel tempted to throw in more shallots, parsley garlic, Hold! Too much will mask the subtle mussel flavour.  What I liked about this dish was the pure simplicity.  Total cooking time barely reached 15 min. 

Good accompaniments to this dish? A good bowl of french fries or french baguette.  Plus, of course a good bottle of white and a good company of friends!

 (Thanks to Daphne for the high-res pic!)